


A Beneficial Guise

by MinaMauveine



Series: Until It's Real [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Bloodplay, Drug Addiction, Emotional Manipulation, F/F, Femslash, Graphic Description, Mythology - Freeform, Smut, This isn't sparkle time Twillight Vampires, Vampires, there will be blood - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-12
Updated: 2013-12-23
Packaged: 2017-12-08 06:28:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/758159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinaMauveine/pseuds/MinaMauveine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma is a hunter, a cold blooded survivor, and she's acquired a taste for a certain Mayor. Tonight is  when she decides to enact on her desires to feast, though maybe she'll entertain these human's dreams… At least until she bores of the game.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [insanetwin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/insanetwin/gifts).



> Warning: Descriptive drug use, needles and general depravity connected to a being that feasts on humanity. Cheers.

The pallor of Emma’s skin isn’t all that different than a normal human’s other than being a shade lighter than norm. The paleness never changes nor does it burn under the sun’s baking rays but it could be warmed by flesh blood and had the consistency of flawless porcelain, with the hue of ivory. Her eyes were the shade of turquoise ice; her golden hair tumbled down jaunt shoulders in perfect curls. 

It was strange her son had appeared on her tenth year as a kindred. He was birthed during her human years and came to fetch and drag her into such a quaint back water place, but now she couldn’t pull herself away. 

Emma felt no lingering love for this human child but she did feel a certain affinity for the town Mayor. It was something she had forgotten, ten years in the passing since she had last felt this kind of attraction. It was more than just to sate the uncomfortable thirst that prowled in her mind and burned in her throat. It was something she could not deny. 

She watched as the drapes within Regina’s window pulled open, causing her to hastily slide closer to the cover of an archaic oak tree, it's shadow enshrouding her from the prying eyes. 

Emma tilted her head up questioningly toward the figure basked in the ethereal yellow light, and wondered if Regina could sense her. Could the other woman feel her thirst, her need to satisfy the quench she has never felt for anyone else before. 

Though something rang loud warning bells within Emma’s skull, there was something different in this woman, something super natural as her own dead heart. She swiftly crossed the misted lawn and then into the back yard, moved up to the door handle and spun her wrist with practiced ease. The knob’s lock was definitely broken now but of course the Mayor of a zero crime level town would still set up a bar. She rolled her eyes and chose a quieter route of the sliding patio glass doors, this time there wouldn’t be another lock to bar her way. 

Emma easily slipped into the mansion, hastily sliding the glass doors shut behind her and sped up the plush cushioned steps. The entire house was drench in the scent of the woman. It made it easier to forget that without an invitation, Emma was vulnerable to any form of attack; though the blonde highly doubted that a person as regal as Regina Mills would ever be found dead carrying rosewood stakes. Emma was not one to even humour the idea that the Mayor had the ability to set some being aflame.

If everything did descend into hell in a hand basket there was always Regina’s adoptive son, Henry slumbering just a room away. In that boy housed the blood type most similar to the kind that once flowed through Emma’s veins, making his blood most capable to nourish her undead vessel. He was perfect for healing any damage she might sustain from this encounter. Ah, the perks of having young before the eternal rebirth. 

Regina’s scent saturated the entire building, leaving Emma’s mouth parched and her fangs instantly distended. She soundlessly passed Henry’s room, the familiar scent of his blood making the anti-coagulating venom pool into Emma’s mouth. This child would definitely be of use one day, at least she now knew where to run to if she ever drew too near the True Death. Emma scrunched her nose at the thought of Henry, he was unruly and constantly appeared just as she was about to feed. Making it so she had to resort to mesmerizing victims just as they were about to sleep since all morning meals were interrupted by the child. Did he even attend classes anymore? 

Shaking her head she continued towards the master bedroom. The door was cracked open, leaving the light from the bathroom to pool into the hallway. Emma could see the brunette bent over the sink, cupping palm-fulls of ice cold water to splash against her lightly tanned skin. 

The intoxicating aroma of Regina’s being caused her to glide closer. Her moments seemed to have alerted the brunette though since Regina paused mid-action and raised her head and panned her eyes into the darkness that hid Emma’s statue still frame. 

Regina frowned and shook her hands in the basin of her sink before drying her them onto the nearest towel. “Henry…” Her voice faltered before strengthening as she commits to the role of parenthood. “You should be in bed, young man.” 

There’s a smirk on Emma’s frozen features as she pushed the door open and stepped into the room, making sure to close it behind her. There was no need to scar the already unstable child she had given birth to. The kid, no fault of Regina’s, was set on fairy tale characters and saviours. Was it really necessary to add Vampires to the list of things for him to be weary of; the stress will make his blood less pliable. 

Before a sound could escape the startled mayor’s mouth Emma darted forward and wrapped her chilled fingers around those supple lips to deter any unwanted screams. “Shhhhhhhhhhhh.”

Regina blinked, caught in the moment of shock. She lifted one hand to grab at the chilled wrist and pressed her free one against Emma’s chest, not quite pushing but a warning none the least. Questions tirades through her mind but she doesn’t voice them, to ask was weak but to command… to control that sudden fear and turn it into a creature of vengeance and anger, now that, was something Regina was skilled at. Almost snarling she wrenched the hand Emma had wrapped around her lips away, sliding it off to the side, taking momentary pleasure in the disbelief that shot through the other woman’s face. 

“Ms. Swan, Get. Out.” The surprise has dissipating in favour of fuming rage; she doesn’t question the reasoning for this unwanted intrusion but demanded the wretched woman to vacate her domain. 

Emma was distracted by the by the fragrance and closeness of Regina’s body, letting that be the simple explanation of how a mortal could overpower a kindred’s strength. The struggle, the passion that danced across Regina’s face was lovely to behold, the undead have a certain inability to mimic emotions once the killing frenzy sets in and caused humanity to slip from their loose grasp. Emotions were set aside in favour of the skills in the department of stealth and the art of the hunt. Charm and faux human acting were no longer needed when fangs were already descending towards a mark.

Emma could barely control her trembling limbs, her body wanting nothing but to yank her prey near, to gorge from the beating jugular till the very last drop was drained and her hands instinctively twitched to dismember the host’s head. An evolutionary method to ensure no new Vampire could be awakened during feedings; it controlled the numbers since younger kindreds were unable to regulate such a drive. Though with Regina, Emma thought she might make an effort to fight the natural imperative. Without another word Emma rushed in and pushed Regina against the marble counters, her leg coming between the shorter woman’s as her tongue swiped out to lick against the pounding in her meal’s neck. 

Regina cried out at the sudden jarring and ravenous motions. For the first time in a very long time, fright palpitated through her body. Emma was something she never thought she would encounter in these lands and have ever only heard of in myths. This was an animal’s hunger, a hunter’s desire. This wasn’t the simple animosity that has fueled this custody battle over Henry. Oh god, Henry. This Emma, this hidden beast that the other woman has been hiding, what will it do to her son?! Panic seized her heart as she felt sharp pressure of canines prick into her throat. There was no such thing as magic in the world she had concocted and she had never required it. In this place only certain cherished items contained unusual abilities and she has done nothing but repressed the memories of Fairy Tale Land, but she needed the power that magic could afford her.

She sensed something in Emma that perhaps she could use, it was there, faint strings of uncontainable brightness, and it was a luminous beauty hidden beneath a shroud of dead obsidian mist. If only she could access it, her own magic was non-existent, a cost in the spell. But there was something there, something stunning and only made through… Regina clenched her hands as teeth tore leisurely through her skin and yet as powerless as she felt at the moment the connection was made and magic once again flowed into her body, gushing from Emma and pouring into her as long as she maintained the pull.

Emma emitted a strangled moan as a choking, terrible sensation scorched through her body. It was burning and frigid at the very same and originated from the body in her arms, she shoved Regina away and slammed back into the plaster and metal that crunched beneath her ridged back. There’s a loud twang as the metal towel holder dropped onto the floor. If the crash wasn’t enough the expensive metallic bar was certainly going to wake Henry. Perfect.

Emma pushed herself up, using the wall as leverage while keeping an arm around her torso. Her body was crunched into itself at the waist, trying desperately to ease the tension, waiting for the cursed pain to subside. The quick patter of feet announced the child’s presence; Emma pressed her lips together and willed her canines to retract before wrapping Regina into her hold.

So the child’s tall tales were true, this woman was some evil queen of this delirious little haven of a town, Emma swooped near to lick over plump lips to hide the blood on her own while her other hand wiped at the bleeding incisions. She then softly blew on Regina’s scowl earning a rather strangled moan before turning to the startled human child and forced a chiseled smile onto her face. “Well, Hello, kid.”

Regina’s entire body stiffened and immediately clasped a hand around Emma’s throat, her expression clouded by indecision; she needed to fight off this demon but would have to expose herself to the one person she couldn’t loose. She made the err to in letting her gaze drop and thus caught the wounded wide-eyed look of betrayal and confusion on her child’s face. The current concoction of disappointment and hurt was a glimpse into what she’ll have to face if she revealed her identity. 

Henry stumbled toward the pair, making Regina want to yell and warn him away. She only sought to protect, but after seeing the object disgust that was a constant fixture on her child’s features she couldn’t bear to be viewed with more hatred, to face the absolute scorn all felt towards the Evil Queen. 

“What… What’s happening...?” Henry’s voice was muddled by sleep but his eyes are sharp with concerned.

Regina glared at Emma, begging her nemesis to be silent, to grant her this mercy. “We’re sorry we woke you, go back to your room, everything is alright.”

“It’s not alright, you two were kissing, and I saw it!” There are tears welling up in his eyes now and his hands are balled into fists. “You aren’t meant to like her, she’s evil!”

Emma laughed derisively before training a contrite expression on her features; if anything was evil it would be herself. “No, she’s not evil and we’re…” She chewed the inside of her cheek, what was it that mortals termed it, god, all she has been doing since her Awakening was feed on the cattle, not interact with them. And her human life had been a dirty montage of a drunken cocaine blur. Mating…No… Fucking… Urgh, needed to keep things PG-13. “We’re dating.” 

“Like with Graham!?” Henry spluttered out in even more disbelief. 

Regina blinked at her son and clenched her hand tighter against Emma’s throat but it was like trying to crush dry ice. “You knew about the Sheriff and me?”

Henry nodded and rubbed at his eyes, gasping in his breaths in his anguish. “Yes and you’re not allowed to like Emma like that, it’s wrong, she’s supposed to over throw you!”

Emma did her best to contain the bubbling laughter that frothed in her chest. There was something akin to pride in her to see that her genetics had spawned such intelligent young. She unraveled her arms and turned to Henry, crouching in close before feeling the clasped of a frightened mother on her shoulder. She rolled the hand off, she needed to damage control. This child, this whelp was all that stood between her and pain. This was why mortals were prey; why they were weak, weak in needing to shield against emotional pain and thus allowing this foolish charade. Regina should have used her momentary surprise and destroyed her, instead of taking into account the feelings of a child, entertaining a monster to guard against hurt spirits. Irrational.

Emma schooled on a caring smile, injecting her eyes with mortal concern. “I need you to go back to bed for now, alright, we’ll talk about this in the morning, I promise you I’m not going anywhere.” She gave him a measured squeeze on his arm and offered a gentle smile. “I love both you and your mother, we’ll make this work.” It was just so very easy to manipulate the need in the boy’s eyes. 

Henry sniffled and moved to hug his birth mother, maybe this could work, maybe his white knight was meant to save everyone. “Can you tuck me back into bed?” His voice was small and tinged with embarrassment for requiring such a childish fancy.

Emma contained the frustrated sigh that puffed just behind her snarled lips. All she wanted was a proper feeding, when did children become such a hassle? Pulling back and maintaining the sweet expression she nodded and held out her hand for Henry, intentionally moving the remaining blood in her veins into her limb so not to frighten the boy. 

Regina hovered a breath behind the pair and supervised the whole excursion, still ready to act if Emma decided to feast and yet it seemed Emma had no intention of harming the boy. Could the legends have been wrong, did Emma still view Henry as her child?

Emma went the full mile and even stroked her hands through Henry’s velveteen locks until the boy’s breathing evened out. When Henry finally succumbed to sleep the pair silently vacated the room and returned to Regina’s. 

The Evil Queen glared at the Vampire before her, Emma should have given into blood lust and attempted to devour the entire household and yet here they were now; at a standstill watching each other, waiting for a move. 

The blonde kept her emotions impassive, so there was doubt in this evil queen, there was trust? Too easy, where was the caution? Why did it matter, if this woman was idiotic enough to fall for a deception and so willing to believe, who was she to let her down? Emma dropped her face into her hands and when she looked up her eyes were brimming with tears, shining bright as rubies and just as red. Blood was not something easily given but it appeared this show was going to require some sacrifice.

“I’m so-sooo sorry Regina, I don’t know, I haven’t…” Emma made herself hic up over her tears, vindictively glad that her blood was going to stain the plush carpets. “I never meant to come in here but you just… I’m attracted to you and you have my son and you had ten years with a child I could only view as a fresh meal in my youth, I had to give him away, I had to keep him safe and by the time I could control my thirst he was in your hold, I couldn’t take him and it made me angry but I… I just …. You’re both so, you’re the family I craved for…” Emma peeked up at Regina, trying to gage how thick she could pile on her emotions, ah, there it was, sympathy for the devil. Regina obviously wanted to redeem herself; all she needed was to see how much Emma wanted it as well. “Please don’t cut me out from his life, I could never hurt him!” She whispered pathetically, moving forward to grip the other woman’s hands. “Please, I love him, I do!”

Regina attempted to shake off the guilt that immediately seized her heart, this whole time… Emma had only seek what she herself wanted, surely… was this a ruse? From what she had witnessed, Emma was not one for the dramatics, and certainly too head strong to cultivate a proper deception without giving her hand. And what she had said. Emma had proclaimed love for her as well… Could… could that even be possible? For 28 years she had lived a solidary life, one where Graham filled her physical pleasures but where did her emotions go? Was she not allowed to love and feel? Henry’s affections had faded on his tenth birthday and was the most painful thing she has ever experience. What had she done wrong? Could this work out for each party? 

Emma’s tears dripped down onto the material of the expensive skirt, crimson on grey. Emma was quivering, unfortunately for the Mayor, Emma was shaking under her need to feed, there was no use for this act, her prey’s guard was down and yet for some reason she was continuing it. Perhaps, it was for the game which she wished to entertain; maybe this would make the hunger ease. If she could convince Regina to be a regular provider, then she wouldn’t have to slay the beauty before her. Emma felt giddy just imagining it; she just had to be patient. 

If this was a game than Emma could play it, she had always hated loosing. And this time the prize was so gorgeous, two perfect little meals, constant sustenance. Yes, this was why she continued the ploy, why she wanted this to unfold. Not just because this woman’s blood was delicious and ultimately the most fulfilling thing she had ever experienced, in this delectable human pulsed magic and something entirely different. Regina’s presence offered serenity and Emma craved for more of it. Her actions were now justified; she could play without being consumed by these foolish mortal qualms of love and allegiance. 

Regina shakily raised her hands to cup along the blonde’s jawline, fingertips ghosting over the red, doing nothing but making the blood smudge. Emma moaned at the contact, accentuating her pleasure and then pretending to bite her lip to silence it from Henry. 

Bashfully she fluttered her eyelashes down at Regina, hoping it was the right blend of need and tentative anticipation. “Please?”

“There will have to be guidelines, we have much to discuss.” Regina sighed, once again caught in uncertainty. Hope was a terrible creature; coy and heady, one that could balm over inconsistencies and glaze over protruding truths. For a woman as broken and needing as Regina, Emma’s promise of love was all she had ever asked for; she had created an entire fictional world in search of a happy ending. Regina was never one to relinquish her guard but decades of being submerged in the same frantic, yearning emptiness could make the most logical individuals loose sense. Then to have a sudden appearance of a chance at happiness in the form of Emma Swan; a serum of equal parts longing and desperation made embarking upon the first steps of trust easier.

The Mayor shook her head and against better judgement twisted her wrist to offer up her blood to Emma’s gleaming fangs. “You’ll need to be completely sated at all times when in Henry’s vicinity; I’ll not put my son in harm’s way.”

“Our son.” Emma replied with persuasion and allowed her canines to gently slice through creamy skin.


	2. Chapter 2

Warning: Descriptive drug use, needles and general depravity connected to a being that feasts on humanity. Cheers.  
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

-1st Month-

The normalcy of this town was beginning to creep up on her, the easy way which it conducted itself, everyone had a role to play and they did it with disheartened flourish. Jobs were completed, stores were open and not one person ever even attempted to vacate the Story Brooke stage. All were trained pets, puppets of the Queen conducting a never ending show.

After the debacle in the master bedroom Emma had been vigilant to catch any sign that Regina had this magic on call. Thankfully, it seemed that the scene in the washroom had just been a onetime ordeal. The magic did not originate from Regina or at least she could not manifest the magic on her own. But while she had no ability to create she could somehow charge herself with reserves Emma didn’t even realize her body had. The second time Regina had tried to pull magic from Emma’s body it had resulted in the same jarring pain and she had gritted her teeth and withstood it all till she had fallen momentarily paralyzed on the ground. Regina had been so distraught over the damage she had caused that she never mentioned trying to regain her powers to Emma again.

According to Henry’s book and Regina’s reluctant confirmation it appeared that Mary Margaret was indeed Snow White. The ludicrously of it all, fairy tale characters living in Maine, but then again, she herself was a god forbid blood drinker, who was she to judge. If Henry’s speculations were correct then she was the daughter of Royalty, a real freaking princess stemmed from a Disney character. Emma had tested this theory by indulging in Mary Margaret’s blood and found the flavour reminiscent of the scent clinging to Henry’s but nowhere as potent. She had refrained from drinking from her roommate till recently, it was never good to feed where one’s den was located. It drew the wrong kind of attention and meant she would’ve constantly needed to mesmerize her teeth achingly sweet roommate. 

The first real obstacle Emma had faced was finding the correct emotions to display towards finding out one’s mother was a fictional character. It was hard to predict and Emma had been caught off guard when Regina had questioned her feelings towards said situation. She had tried her best to gage Regina’s welcoming posture and attempted to quietly embrace her human lover which thankfully had worked out. Regina had stroked tentative hands through bright wheat golden curls and placated Emma’s non-existent anguish deep into the night. It was odd to have one’s prey cuddling her chilled frame for an entire evening. 

Being in Regina’s arms felt strangely comfortable, even a little restful. To have the slow intake and outtake of breaths even out as the human eventually drifted off to sleep. There was no such thing as rest for her; the blood in her veins froze when it became stagnant within her body, frothing into a simmering pain if she went too long without a fresh additive. Emma spent most of her nights prowling The Rabbit Hole; alcohol always provided easy subjects, their memories already befuddled to begin with. 

Whiskey, patron, vodka, gin and assortment of others made her victim’s blood carry a intoxication of its own but they were never close to how Regina’s tasted after a couple glasses of cider; the blood in the Mayor’s body warmed by the high percentage, her veins dilated and her body pliant to Emma’s hungry affections. Regina’s blood was a delectable aphrodisiac, something heavenly and should be completely forbidden. Never had Emma had such issues with self-control, never had she craved to ruin and devour another in such a way. Her maker had always complimented her superb self-discipline, considering her young age and how little of the blood frenzy manage to take over her sanity. Foolish, frail little woman, didn’t Regina know that she was sleeping with a beast? A monster whose diet consisted on the livelihood of others? That her daily life depended on the filthy liquids that pumped through the town’s residents’ veins; Emma’s maker had informed her that humanity of the present day has been poisoned by medicines and chemicals; nothing like the fine, clean blood of the peasants that once filled the lands.

During the first week of her Awakening, she hadn’t been quite able to stop drinking. Every single mortal that crossed her path was swiftly dragged into the shadows and consumed. All her kills were comparably tidy and the bodies properly dispose of but the blood hunger was almost equivalent to the dying need for the sweet kiss of heroin. Maybe that was why she could control her frenzy so much better than her brethren; she had been suffering under the siren call of a destructive lover for almost all of her human life. The drug was never the one at fault though, it was always her, she was the weak one, and it had ridden her mind of all sense, a human monster until she could attain a hit. 

Needing blood wasn’t so different, she had just traded one addiction for another, and this habit gave her both euphoria and the powers of a supernatural. For a long while there was no down side. She could still watch the sun rise and her maker taught her how to sharpen her senses through the most interesting training. She harboured none of the depressive thoughts that were once chained to her by the mortal coil, she had no emotions at all, only the hunger and her maker’s will. She didn’t even have a taste in a specific type of cattle until the day that she had dragged a doll faced toddler into her clutches, the babe’s cheeks as plump as a cherub’s. The terrified shrieking was instantly silenced when the girl’s mess of curls were used as leverage for Emma to yank its neck open, its blood spilling into her mouth along with a life time of plundered opportunities. The gurgle of lifeblood from a child was cleaner, sweeter, and superior in all ways over an adult’s and yet it was also incredibly sickening to gulp down. She had never felt how truly vile her being was until that point in her Rebirth, it was at that moment she decided to stick to those that were half way to their doom. She justified that the young should be given the opportunity. If they were meant to be imbibed than let them sit on the shelf of life and eventually age to her acquired tastes. When her maker had questioned her sudden interest in the deprived human wraths she had explained that it was obviously because adults provided a greater source of blood than an infant and no one ever cared when a street urchin disappeared.

When she had been in the bigger cities, Emma favoured the bitter aftertaste carried by the blood of drug addicts, especially the people that had heroin or cocaine speeding through their veins. It made her reminiscent of the days she had spent in the similar alley ways; where her bare knees sat in the slime and grit of the filthy underbelly of the city and a needle constantly poked through any patch of skin where the veins were not abused to a point of hardening. Whenever she ran out of the drugs and couldn’t even find meth to tweek out on she had wanted someone to just end it all, to take her life because she was too much of a chicken to do it herself. She had made herself dizzyingly sick once when she had repeatedly used a needle to draw out blood, tugging the plunger bubbling up and then pushing it out to splatter onto the dirt lined tiles of a McDonald’s washroom wall. She just wanted everything to end and it had felt like there was no way out. But even as her fingers trembled through the robotic motions of drawing and squirting blood she had pitifully wanted someone to just find her and rescue her from the encroaching death. The process had made her light headed enough that she blacked out, when she woke up in the rocking ambulance; she crumpled under the unimpressed and judgemental face of a youthful paramedic that hadn’t quite learnt to hide his disgust or even extend his sympathies. 

Seeing someone only years older being successful increased her revulsion towards her own failure; it made her seek drugs again just to rid herself of the abject depression. She would give up everything to get it, stealing, lying and even resulting to selling her own body. When the high washed over her insides, the lovely relationship she had built with the drug would sooth all worries and self-doubt, only to run out hours later leaving her dried mouth and once again pining. It was a horrible sentience, her ratty clothing adhering to her bone thin body only by the sweat congealed on her skin, but her filthy hygienic conditions couldn’t compare to the addiction rippling underneath her skin, making her nauseous and desperate for the next high; the self-loathing choking her every breath as the impassive weather spat a downpour of frigid rain. She would have sold her soul to be clean of it all, to be rid of the killing dependence she had on drugs. It was a vicious cycle that never ended. 

Until he appeared and cured her of all ailments; the only payment was for her to serve under a kinder mistress’s whim, to be under the sway of her own Vampiric hunger.

Her relationship with Regina was probably the most difficult thing to maintain at the moment. Emma was on the precarious division of when to draw her line in her dramatic performances. Saying too much would make Regina cautious but saying not enough would make it appear like she was unable to express or feel even the simplest emotions. Which was true. The undead had no need for human frailties like love and regret. Emma’s family was her maker and her master had gone into early hibernation. He had seen his young’s significant restraint and after much consideration went for the centennial sleep. Where the blood curdled in his veins and forced his wispy frame to desiccate and enter a sort of torpor. For a Vampire as old as he there needed to be interments of dead slumber between his thousand years of undeath. Emma had wanted to stay by her maker’s side but there were much more capable brood guarding the tomb and her elder siblings were hardly fond of her. Jealous of her impeccable dominion over her own bloodlust and thus garnered favour from their mutual maker.

She has voyaged throughout most of Canada in these years of solitude and rarely if ever even bumped into her kind. The Vampiric breed were solitary nomadic hunters, only traveling in pairs if they were mates, or was being trained by their sire. Any size greater than three would be made up of the weakest most miserable creatures and a pair of mated Vampires was almost impossible to come by. 

The bonds that chained the undead only connected them to their maker and in a million in one chance to their mate. If it was natural for their dead hearts to sustain any kind of relationship it would be strongest between a master and childe. That association expanded to their sire’s children in the form of begrudging respect, they would never harm each other directly but were less than cordial at the best of times. To have a relationship form between two Vampires originating from different covens meant that the undead involved would require the capacity to go beyond their baser need of fulfilling only their own hedonistic pleasures; though once that connection was forged between a pair, the relationship normally lasted until either creature met the True Death. It was best to never even approach a mated pair; all actions would be considered a threat on their territory or partner, unless a maker wished to see their young, of course. Mated pairs seldom procreated since they already owned all the attention they required and were often very jealous of said affection. Thus another reason why the Vampiric kind rarely formed a mate bond, their race would cease to populate. Perhaps a very experienced Vampire could fight its urge to dominate its partner’s affection and since a pair that mated was always equal in power and control, there might be a slim chance they would create progeny. Then again mated pairs were irrational creatures and Emma had no fancy in ever encountering them. 

Emma had made certain to never drain Regina even near the cusp of death and was even more careful to forbid the transfer of her own blood. There were two breeds of Vampires, the accidental sub-specie that resulted when the prey had been drained but its head had not been removed in time, it gained unlife from the venom in the Vampire’s bite; the poison scorched into their brains and limbs. Those creatures were feral and best laid to their True Death as soon as possible since they were driven by pure ID, whatever they needed they required it in instant gratification without thought for exposure of anything else, actual beasts. Then there was the breeding that resulted in Emma, young that has drunk from her maker’s veins and had been intentionally created. Once her body had been emptied of the last drop of blood, her master shared his own essence and then ended her mortal existence. She had kept her wits about her and gained a plethora of nocturnal abilities, inopportunely one of them made her completely obedient to her master but he was a generous being and his will was always her own. 

Emma carefully entered Regina’s abode, clicking the door shut behind her. The lock had been replaced and she had been made to pay for the damages. Honestly, that woman was ridiculous, petty, infuriating piece of meat that- Emma automatically pulled on an overly enthused smile onto her smooth lips when Regina turned the corner. Responses such as these were being trained into her like a Pavlovian conditioning. All she needed was a certain action on Regina’s or Henry’s part and she’ll have the proper reaction. It was slowly getting easier to act like a proper human being. Repetition was all it took, practice with the town’s people helped drill human idiosyncrasies into Emma’s repertoire of acting. 

“Ms. Swan, I rather you avoid passing this habit of tardiness onto Henry.” Regina’s lips twitched into a careful yet endearing smile that made Emma consider how wholly unwarranted that a single mortal should be allowed to carry such power and yet present herself with this much charm. 

Emma tried her hardest not to roll her eyes at the implication that Regina had once upon a time been a princess in her own right. “Sorry, Deputy Stuff, some kids apparently broke into Mr. Gold’s shop, and he had me stay as he took inventory.”

Regina’s expression tightened for a moment and then relaxed as she approached. “I’ll advise staying away from Mr. Gold; he’s a long-time adversary of mine and has no interest in anything but causing me harm.”

Emma felt something feral twist and growl within her; no one was allowed to touch what belonged to her and certainly not that urchin of a man, when she was done- Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft caress upon her cheek. When did Regina move towards her?

“Promise me you won’t lay a hand on him, he’s harmless on the best of days.” At the confusion that flickered over Emma’s face Regina continued. “I’ve felt the bloodlust and hatred I just witnessed on your face, Emma, I rather you not go on a rampage.”

“I wasn’t about to just attack him.” Emma gave a calculated turn of her head, leaning into the warmth that radiated from Regina’s touch. 

“You certainly appeared to be considering such an option.” Regina smirked, nonetheless a little pleased that Emma would rush to her aid even though it was unnecessary. 

“Nope, I’m the law and I’m trying to set a good example.” Emma twisted her head about in search of her son, resisting the urge to just take a drag of air to scent the human child out; she maintained a collected demeanor in her next question. “Is Henry out?”

“Yes, he’s sleeping over at Nicholas Zimmer’s for a camp out.” 

“Hansel’s house?” Emma pressed her lips together into a sneer and raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure I support their friendship, he tried to frame Henry.”

“Dear, you’re the one that intervene and caused their father to take them in.” Regina stroked a hand down Emma’s spine. “Don’t slouch, it’s quite unbecoming.”

“Our son is going to be ‘unbecoming’ when he over doses on diabetic amounts of sugar.” And god knows what other contaminants Michael was allowing to poison his blood stream. Emma had a theory it was Regina’s impeccably healthy diet that made the brunette’s blood taste like the finest Drambuie. 

“His health will hardly suffer irreparable damage over indulging in just one night of confectioneries,” Regina retorted diplomatically, already accustomed to how bizarrely concerned Emma was for both hers and Henry’s general wellbeing.

Emma shrugged, done with a discussion which talk alone could not alter the outcome. She placed her hand on her partner’s hips and grinned wolfishly. “I missed you.”

“I’m sure.” Regina responded a tad sardonically, her eyebrow tilting up dubiously as she raised an index finger to tap at her jugular. “Not just hungry?”

God, yes, Emma was always famished, starving for a taste. Her eyes glimmered as her pupils dilated; but she had to make it normal, had to make Regina think that she wanted more than just the world’s top shelf juice box. She gulped and forced her canines to retract back through her gums. “That’s not all I want… I love you, Regina.” Emma wasn’t lying about this, she did love the taste of Regina’s blood, it was something else entirely, and completely hers, she wouldn’t be willing to share if even her brethren came knocking on this little town.

Regina blinked and paused as she looked up at the unusual bedfellow that had fallen into her cot. There it was, the admittance of love from Emma’s pale lips. So effortlessly given, so carelessly said. What did the kind of love between them mean? It certainly wasn’t the selfless devoted affection that Charming and Snow had, no their relationship was very different from the pure and naïve love that sparked between Emma’s parents. The passion or whatever that pulsed between them was possessive and almost animalistic, but Regina was gradually starting to feel that this was the kind of love she deserved since it was the only form she could reciprocate. 

Regina could sense how hard Emma struggled to display the correct kind of emotions; it was almost like the blonde had difficulties conveying any sort of feelings. She was constantly surveying Regina’s reactions, waiting for the initiative before responding. Even though lately Emma appeared to be warming up to things, there was the terrible fact that Regina hadn’t the slightest clue how to indulge in a relationship herself; she had forgotten the rush and elation of having a lover and the affectionate behaviour that it would entail. 

Should they display their relationship out to the open, should they hold hands while walking together? When was it the appropriate for Emma to sleep over? The only initiative Emma took towards discussing such issues was to just enact them. If Regina spent a moment too long gaging the proximity between their hands, Emma would intertwine them together and would do so furthermore at every opportunity. It didn’t take long for the rest of the town to realize that the Deputy and Mayor were now in a relationship. Emma didn’t ever need to sleep so when they were lingering in bed or after a feeding Emma would dawdle by Regina’s side until Regina dismissed her or if Regina didn’t voice her preference the Vampire would crawl under the covers and into her arms. 

There was also Emma’s tendency to hover pass all socially acceptable boundaries, integrating herself into Regina’s space in the most inopportune times. Such as town meetings where Emma would keep a hand on Regina’s thigh and lean abnormally close to her for almost the entire duration of the comity seminar and then remain rooted by Regina’s side even when Sidney tried to scurry them into a corner to discuss less than altruistic schemes. The more Sidney endeavoured to approach the more Emma posture would stiffen until Regina knew it was best to intervene least someone’s jugular be ripped open by an irrational Vampire.

And let’s not even mention last Friday’s parent teacher’s conference. 

Emma had gotten so bored of Mary Margaret’s praise of Henry’s diligence in school work that she had slinked away from the table she had been leaning against to drape herself onto Regina’s back. The school teacher’s pale complexion had burnt apple red while her words came out in a squeaking jumble. Mary Margaret’s discomfort was the only reason Regina had allowed Emma to continue and nuzzle against her neck. Honestly, if that spoiled brat only knew the things she had been doing to her daughter. 

It had been rather odd that Emma had all but dismissed the fact that Regina had cursed all of Fairy Tale Land. The blonde hadn’t even been curious on how to break the curse until Regina had explained that she would have to end the Saviour’s life. Only then did she seem to pick up on the necessity of concern but it seemed more like an afterthought than genuine worry. But what with Emma being already undead there was no real way to dispel the curse; since the Saviour needed to actually be alive to be considered allegeable for sacrifice. After a long curious pause, Emma had pulled Regina into a tight hug and reassured her that their love had not been affected, and then added jokingly as long as she wouldn’t try to take her unlife. Such incidences made certain aspects of their lives awkward with effort and a bit stilted in every dimension but their bedroom. 

Regina grinned as she leaned into Emma’s body and then whispered delicately against the whorl of the taller woman’s ear, her voice intimate and promising. “Take me upstairs.”


	3. Chapter 3

-3rd month-

Emma waved the Bear claw at the departing Sheriff as a goodbye. Graham was finally leaving the building, which meant that she was allowed to drop the harden pastry back into her desk drawer. Her body wasn’t capable of digesting anything other than blood and small quantities of liquids such as water and the sort. Graham was the chivalrous sort of annoying that would always bring a double of his own store brought lunch whenever they were in the same shift. And seeing how the whole god damn town only happened to have a couple Deputies and Sheriff on staff, Emma felt that they spent far too much time together. He insisted it was because he didn’t want others to say that he was starving her since they always seemed too busy for her to grab a lunch or even bother to pack one. He didn’t want her to think that he was depriving her of her break time even if it was her choice not to eat. Though Emma knew there was more to just being a thoughtful superior. She could smell the fondness in his scent, could sense the motive with the way his body carved into the space around her, close enough until she could only watch the pulse beating in his neck.

It made her murderous thoughts simmer with possibility.

She knew that Graham had slept with Regina before. She had smelt it in the sheets and gleaned it in the submissive wilting of his posture when Regina was around. Though that was in the past and Emma was not one to waste thought on who had once loitered in Regina’s bed. As long as Graham did not approach and Regina had not beckoned then all was well in her mind. Her want to hurt Graham was only for the pursuit of the fine blood that pumped steady and strong. At least that was what she told herself whenever he sat too close to them during a town council meeting.

It was odd to watch the full array of charm coming from him; it was just shy of being boyish, with his head dipped slightly forward but his gaze flicking up through his mousey brown hair to meet hers expectantly. It was like watching a dog with a bone in its mouth, waiting for its master to take the offering while its tail swirled about like it was having some kind of epileptic fit. 

Emma would never humour even a bit of solid food into her system since her body would just make her vomit it back up. The taste of food didn’t change after being turned but it certainly lost its appeal once she learnt that nothing solid she ate would stay down. It was like being strung out, left cold turkey to get clean, when the shivers wrecked her body so hard that there was nothing she could do but suffer through her stomach spasm and cringe. That was another lifetime ago and she had no fancy of ever reliving any part of those moments.

She had taken the habit of waving one particular Bear Claw around as a ward to cease Graham’s ardent overtures of affection. The pastry had all but aged into a rock at this point but it served as a passable prop. She absentmindedly brushed her fingertips off from excess sugar over the waste basket. 

She had one last piece of paper work to complete before calling it a day; it was a terribly benign documentation about how she had fetched another stray cat from a tree that was always easier to clamber up but impossible to climb back down. 

Being able to glamour humans also meant she could use the same trick on animals. During her apprenticeship under her master’s guidance, learning to exert full mental control over other beings had been one of the most exhausting and tedious exercises she had to undergo. The way she lived made the skill a necessity and it was always an entertaining trick when she got bored. Though no matter how much entertainment value it was to have this ability she could never forget the mortifying hours she spent glaring at crickets as she goaled to simply make them take one lick of water. She worked up to birds and then felines and then all the way into a very long tenure of stalking out at the public zoo. Those months at the zoo had been enough animal mental harassment Emma could stand for the rest of her days. And yet here she was 10 years later and none the wiser, staring down cats to calming dogs.   
Graham said she had a lucky knack for it and David had teased her on being an animal whisperer.

Emma wished she had just broken the damn thing’s neck.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Emma could smell the pungent aroma of Mr. Gold’s cologne, the scent that wafted off the miniscule man carried a pinch of clove. The clicking succession of his cane quickened as he chased her retreating back. This was the man that threatened her Regina. She could just end him here, humans are such fragile things. She unhurriedly turned and thought of all the entertaining things she could do to him, slice him open from plexus to navel with just her nails. String him up by his own intestines; she could use his shop’s rafters as a makeshift hang man’s bar. As the man scratched and whined when the organic noose ripped him apart and sealed his throat close. It would be a terribly messy affair, the kind that would drench her attire in bits of flesh and flecks of blood. She would set the whole damn place on fire. The pain would be intolerable but he would still be alive if done right, choking on the fumes. The livid inferno would char that sly grin off of his face, his skin would taunt under the high temperature, pulling, rippling back into his skull as the fat bubbled and sluiced off his scrawny body. The image of him suffering would be enough; she did not require the screech of his voice to settle her ire. She wouldn’t even deign to indulge in the cretin’s blood.

“Ms. Swan, so good to have caught up to you, I had some things I wished to discuss with you.” Gold was leaning heavily on his walking stick now that he had caught up to her. 

Her lips automatically turned up into a polite smile before she conscientiously changed her expression to reflect her careful concern. “Is there any issue with the boys from before; did they come back to the shop, I’ll be happy to swing back again if you need my help?” 

“Oh, there will be no need for that; I just wanted to offer some advice on the Mayor.” His smile was furtive as he leaned conspicuously near. “She’s not as she appears, Ms. Swan, it would be in your best interest to cut your associations with her.” With the Saviour entangled with The Evil Queen there would be no way for his curse to be unraveled. He needed Emma to realize that a curse was present and that it stemmed from Regina. If Emma had such knowledge and believed in it, only then would True Love’s kiss given to her Son break the spell. Love had to be equal in both participants and Rumple doubted Regina had the capability to love anything outside of herself. 

A town filled with love birds like Snow and Charming, watching them come together and fall apart at intervals like tacky soap drama’s protagonists. It was a vicious cycle of lies and misfortunate events since David had awoken. If only a kiss was all it took… You could love another’s body, their touch and smell, but the background knowledge, shared passion for who they truly were was a requirement along with believing in a fairy tale. Silly little tawdry Kodak moments that Gold could live without ever witnessing, awareness of the spell and memory of witnessing another’s naked soul must be intact or else nothing will come to fruition from a simple touch of skin.

“While your advice isn’t welcome, your concern is noted, but who I stay with or leave will be my own business and not yours.” This seemed like the correct amount of attitude to throw into such a conversation. Emma’s first option was still to just rid the man of his head for intruding in her affairs but Regina had called it, that Emma wanted to start up a ‘rampage’ and she had no interest to prove her human lover right. She found it amusing that her own eccentric need for being right was the only thing keeping him alive. 

“Come now, haven’t you ever been suspicious of Regina’s motives of seducing you into her bed?”

Emma wanted to drag her hands down her face in annoyance, if anyone had done the seducing it had been her and not Regina. What is with this man and Henry both jumping to the conclusion that Regina was the one at fault at all times?! She could still just dart her hand out, smooth nails slotting into and through his skin and muscles, letting her fingers snatch onto his collarbone for a good grip. They weren’t even that far from his shop, she would strangle him till he passed out and then patiently wait for him to awake before bringing her earlier fantasy to life. Instead she placed a flicker of doubt over her features to test the waters. 

When Gold’s expression turned wicked she redoubled her efforts to act surprised and slightly anxious, as if he had dug up a great secret and then shook her head in faux disbelief. “Regina loves me.”

Gold patted Emma consolingly on her shoulder and she did her best not to duck away from his approaching limb. Humans could be so ridiculously sluggish; one could only guess how they managed before the invention of tools. She felt the need to fight off the cringe on her face as she watched in slow motion as the hand descended again in another pat. She wasn’t some cat that he could just molest when he needing an outlet for his unspoken thoughts. “Tsk tsk, she does play a great enchantress, must have been due to her past, say, what did she claim as her occupation before coming to Storybrooke?”

Emma blinked, she knew she wasn’t supposed to know about Regina’s history but she did, what the hell was she supposed to make up here? Her facial expression faltered away from the concern and hit a frustrated blankness that she hope Gold wouldn’t notice. Fucking humans and their incredibly intricate ways of-

“Nothing, did she?” Gold teased, glad he had the upper hand, he internally scoffed. Royalty tended to breed the most inept kind of offspring. How was Emma ever going to go searching if he wasn’t here to guide the dim witted princess? 

Emma remained silent since Gold was practically doing all her acting for her; she supposed she should now be wrecked with some denial and a pinch of worry? That was her best guess and who could fault her for trying? Humans are annoying little things, especially this rat.

“Well then, I’ll leave you with that food for thought.” Gold gave a nod of his head, glowing now that his words had pushed this idiot along. He grinned once more and then proceeded to head back towards his shop, a particular cheer in each clack his cane made on the concrete.

If it was entirely up to her she wished that she could just have killed him to begin with, honestly, was he supposed to plant seeds of doubt? Emma scrunched up her features to a scowl as the man glanced back at her, he nodded again, obviously pleased with his efforts. 

The blonde sighed, stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets and turned back towards her den. Fucking humans. 

At least Regina would be returning from work soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Luthor for betaing and providing always awesome insights :D


	4. Chapter 4

-3rd Month-

She was a Vampire at a super market. Not a bloodslave market that bigger cities populated with willing and sometimes glamoured humans. Where you could buy whatever taste you desired, be it young, old, or by race. She never indulged in such a thing because she enjoyed the hunt, the deadly approach towards her prey, the game.

As long as you had the funds you would never have to dirty your hands in this age of technology and bribery, though this was not a proper market, it was not a glorified slaughter house but a legitimate human one. A human scented, human employed and human built fucking Food Mart.

What was she doing with her unlife?

Henry kept skirting in and out of her vision and she was loath to call for him since she could clearly still hear his distinct running stride and monitor his heartbeat. Regina was walking next to her with her BlackBerry opened on a grocery list.

The phone was just there for show since Regina always knew exactly what her pantry needed; the small piece of plastic was a shield against Emma’s sometimes unnerving gaze. It was always odd to bring something novel up with Emma, a glass like sheen blanked the other woman’s stare while her lips jumped into an indulgent smile. Whatever the issue, Emma would always meet it with a steady unperturbed air and a tad too much caution. If Emma had dealt with a scene in their lives before then the accustomed cheerfulness would be present. It’s not like Regina expected Emma to be always enthusiastic but it still felt like a balancing act between the two of them, Regina would read the lines and Emma would respond to their domestic play with the suitable response. If it was something different then Emma required a period of stilted conversations before she acclimatized to the new.

It wasn’t difficult living with Emma, if anything it was easy and that was what frightened Regina the most. Emma was punctual, silent and never left a mess in the house. She had taken to filling their pantry with health snacks, and after being asked by Regina once, the laundry was folded in the way a department store would display their wares. Even the dishes were all clean and all shined to perfection and it wasn’t like Emma was the one that used any of their fine China. Other than the canvas duffle bag in Regina’s guest room and sudden disappearance of Henry’s stash of hidden junk food it was like Emma wasn’t even there.

Regina was accustomed to fighting tooth and nail for her happiness either by subtle plots or by spilled blood. This relationship was surreally functioning and normal if you ignored the fact that her other half was a Vampire from lore. Emma was always invested in their conversations and an attentive lover. Regina scoffed at the idea that Emma was just attentive, her lover was passionate, the touch always needy and never failing to make Regina feel wanted. It was definitely elicited more out of her than Leopold’s clammy fumbling and even Graham’s obedient roughness. Emma was focused and the supernatural stamina occasionally made Regina too sated to wrestle for dominance in their bed.

She never failed to be supportive when Regina felt the toll of the now moving days. Her child’s mother was a hard working citizen, sociable and kind to a fault. There wasn’t anyone against their union, some of the more dimwitted individuals even thought her… Personable. The word was associated with harsh memories of relationships with peasants her mother discouraged, the taste of social propinquity made her uneasy. The other day Ruby had packaged her ordered meal with a smile and said that it was nice to see Emma had ‘loosened her up’. The ease which they were slowly beginning to interact with her caused her thoughts to tighten with old tensions; nothing she valued was meant to last. She was waiting for her current situation to hit the denouement and then splinter the way the mirror had when the relationship with her mother had been ended by her own two hands.

“Is everything alright?” Emma questioned as she rubbed the pads of her cool digits over Regina’s furrowed brows.

“Of course, dear.” Regina was accustomed to the casual way Emma offered touch to comfort her.

Emma hmmmed and then narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Is it Gold?”

“No, he hasn’t said anything to me in quite some time.” Regina made sure that no one was focused on them and then lightly tapped Emma on the nose with her index finger. It was puerile but Emma was looking positively livid at the sheer speculation of Gold’s involvement. “I can see malicious intent in your eyes.”

“I told you I wouldn’t just attack him.” Emma moved in and stole a chaste kiss, she could feel the pulse of blood under Regina’s skin, and it almost made her fangs slide out. She had better feed soon. “I would hate to disappoint you.”

“Perish the thought that a human life could be worth more than my opinion of you.” Regina’s voice lightened, a teasing smile on her lips.

“Nothing is worth more than you.” Emma replied with swift conviction, Regina’s opinion of her was the only reason she feigned the guise of humanity.

Regina felt her cheeks warm at the devote notion, a little embarrassed that she reacted like such a bashful teenager whenever Emma said such things. She shifted the conversation, not wanting to be caught so smitten out in public viewing. “I was thinking of inviting Kathryn and David over for dinner, now that he’s had his priorities straightened.”

Regina wanted to build a better relationship with both of Emma’s parents to give back at least some of what she had stolen. Maybe a bit of family time for Emma would ease her own guilty conscience. She had no intention of bringing up the past for the obliviously mismatched couple and Emma deemed the truth irrelevant. Regina could stand the naïve country bumpkin and even encourage Emma to spend more time with Snow but at the end of the day, Regina would rather Snow and David remained forever separated, a selfish part of her unable to allow the bane of her youth to gain real happiness.

At some point Kathryn had somehow maneuvered into the small spectrum of people she gave a care for and it made it difficult for her to intentionally harm the unknowing woman. It was an odd sensation, this nonsense of being friends and actually caring about the wellbeing of people that if given the truth would want nothing more but her head.

“That’s… nice?” Emma was unsure of how she should feel about having her Prince of a father over for dinner but she supposed it was an occasion she should look forward to? Or be weary off? She couldn’t care less but decided to go for the excitedly weary route. Regina must be trying to show her the importance of family or some other nonsensical bond that human’s valued. While she didn’t actually mind when Regina had sat with her after she came back to the den after work- god she had a fucking steady job instead of using mesmer when she was in need of income- and unexpectedly shared a bit about her childhood, Emma was more reluctant in delving into her own past.

The memories were filled with fear and loathing, of cold scratchy beds and screaming children. Of father and mother figures that cared less for her wellbeing and more for the cash that came with her head count. Of never quite being full on days when school wasn’t in session because there were no warm meals at lunch time provided for the lower income families when left alone in her foster homes. She was a meal ticket for her keepers and not much else if she was lucky. If she wasn’t enough to just be a piggy bank then she would be another kind of entertainment. How many cigarette burns could be brushed off as coincidental?

But it wasn’t always bad; there was a short period, when she had been chosen by a perfect couple that had expensive toys and a plush bed meant only for her. They had all the book smarts on child rearing and certainly could provide the best in the world. But they looked at her expectantly, like she was a car, and they had yet had time to figure out all its features. As if all their marriage and relationship required to regain worth was for them to play house with their new doll. When she wasn’t able to catalyze a change in their marriage they had gotten an annulment and Emma had been returned to foster care like a defective piece of merchandise. She hadn’t lived up to what they had hoped of her and was thrown back in the pile of rejects.

She stood up for herself and wouldn’t let weaker kids get bullied in her proximity. She was labeled a proper trouble maker, meaning she got pushed to lower levels of the system that came free of charge with degrading living conditions.

Then on a coincident neither lucky nor unfortunate, one of those places had a pair of siblings that were well-meaning dealers, giving a cap or two of ecstasy to Emma and provided her with an escape into a world where everyone wanted and loved her for just being her. They didn’t expect her to fix marriages and never replaced her with biological siblings. She was important and the people around her actually cared. Then when she got out of the system her dabblings in drugs turned into a full out indulgence. Life after that was hardly a life worth living.

She was happy for a short moment but she knew it was pathetic. She was never beaten, never really physically or sexually abused. At least not to the point comparable to some of the more horrific cases. She had always just been at the bar median, never above and never below. She had a childhood that many others had survived through to become upstanding citizens.

And then there was her, a score in the statistics, what a disappointment.

How the fuck was she supposed to tell all of that shit to Regina when her past only made her laugh now, she was just so detached from the suffering, and pathetic insecurities. She supposed she could just dead pan her history out like a long monologue and chalk it up to closing oneself off to painful experiences? She really would rather not have to cry again, leaking precious fluids was not a good practice to get into

She just wasn’t able to start, not even with Regina’s focus on the memories of her own past and away from Emma’s hesitant pause. This normally occurred when they were leaning against the headboard of their bed. Regina would open up a folder from her office and neither pry nor bully, her eyes would be tolerant and undemanding as her warm hand pressed lightly onto Emma’s knee. Regina would stroke her delicate fingers over the veins that flowed underneath Emma’s pale skin and calmly turn a page in her documents. Regina would share and yet never ask for reciprocation. Emma could guess what she was supposed to do but Regina had yet to outright ask her to comply so now they were at a standstill. Though Emma never felt like she was obligated to share her life history, she just felt oddly comforted in knowing that someone else cared and would listen.

“Oooff.” Henry bounced off her hip when he turned a corner too quick and she had been too lazy to dodge him. “Sorry, Emma.”

“It’s alright, kid.” Emma gave him a wink as she ruffled his hair. “Though I might have to give you a speeding ticket, I think you broke some by-laws during that last race down the aisle.”

Regina turned her focus onto the pair, she would normally chastise Henry for running indoors but he was finally not outright declaring his hatred for her. It made her a little unsure how to equal out discipline while staying on her child’s good side and lying about being an Evil Queen.

Henry blinked up at Emma and then to Regina, scowling expectantly for the reprimand from his adoptive mother. “It’s not like anything I do could compare to the things she’s done.” When Regina’s eyes sparked in pain at the weary resentfulness in her son’s voice, Emma shot the child a displeased frown.

When a youngling dissatisfied their maker they were physically punished; the amount of damage sustained by the childe depended upon the level of disobedience. Vampires were sturdy creatures with little emotional capability, but suffering and pain was still part of their existence. Pain receptors were handy in notifying any creature of its eminent danger. Pain was quick and easy to remind one’s young on how to properly act. Chains of pure silver would sear out any delinquent thought. Though, if Emma recalled correctly, humanity tended to deal with their young’s insolence with in a more gentle method.

“Henry, a moment, now.” She pulled the kid off to the side, giving the other woman a nod before she motioned away.

Friendly demeanor be damned, why was he being so intentionally cruel to someone as sweet as Regina? Emma’s eyebrows creased together in disbelief at her own thought pattern and glowered. What she meant was if the kid kept causing Regina such anguish what would that do to the quality of the blood? Rejection or heartbreak tended to have a more bittersweet burning taste. No, thank you.

Dropping down to one knee before her human child Emma placed a consoling hand onto his shoulder much like the one Gold had tried on her earlier. “You know that was rude, don’t you.” She tried to keep her voice firm but not to let too much of her displeasure through.

Henry reminded her of how she had been, all woe is me and self-adsorbed. The whole world owed him everything since he had endured those ‘terrible’ years of Regina’s nurturing care. He took no pleasure from having a warm house with a roof over his head and a full belly. He did not appreciate the nightlight in his room, or the new clothing and always fresh linen. Or even have the least bit of consideration for the eternal depth of patience Regina always had at the ready and hopingly offered.

“You keep telling me it’s okay but it isn’t, she’s still, she has to be evil.” If she wasn’t classified as a villain in his mind then what could justified his horrid behaviour these last months since even before Emma’s arrival? Henry wasn’t a spiteful child just one that truly believed in right and wrong and his mother was molded in the roles as black as coal in his understanding and thus all she did was caste in a dire shade of evil.

“Even if your mother was The Evil Queen,” at the eagerness in the child’s eyes for being believed in, Emma quickly continued, “in a past life, she has reformed now.”

“Then why won’t she just lift the curse and send everyone home?” Henry quizzically grilled. He may have agreed to the idea that perhaps Emma was supposed to save Regina too but it didn’t mean that his adoptive mother deserved it.

“Because she can’t and let’s not forget she actually provided a bunch of Disney characters in the rural ages with a life of luxuries they could never have dreamed off.” Emma tilted her head and hoped she appeared understanding and a little bit teasing. She better lighten her grip on the kid’s shoulder. “C’mon, indoor plumbing and showers, all they had were streams and kettle warmed waters and don’t even get me started on the candies and pizza you so love, all you’ll be getting in that land would be apples and some kind of pastry.” That would be so good for his blood.

Henry giggled at the enthusiasm which Emma had for fresh fruit and vegetables and shook his head at her attempt. Sometimes his birthmother was odd like that, her voice inflecting at the wrong times and she was unusually joyous with him and never mad. Today was the first time he had even seen her scowl. “Yeah, I guess.”

“And let’s not forget the most important thing.” She waited for him to look up and make eye contact. “Your mother may be The Evil Queen, but somehow she still loves you.”

There was a long pause as Henry rapidly blinked his eyes. His mother was a lot of things but she certainly couldn’t love him, if she did she wouldn’t have sent him to get help like he was crazy. He wasn’t crazy, he couldn’t be wrong. But images of each deteriorating encounter with his mom seemed to prove exactly the opposite. He should expect manipulation but the tears that gleam just at the corners of his mother’s eyes were real enough. How many times had he made his mom almost cry, the tears pooling together to reflect the evening lamplight from outside of his bedroom window. He wouldn’t turn away from her, wouldn’t trust her with his back until he became too exhausted of the quiet heartbreak that she strained to stop from crossing her face. She was always trying, but unable to shield him from the anguish that crushed into her heart at every rejection from her only son.

“She doesn’t really, though,” Henry countered; his hands stuck into his jean pockets, back crunched, a classic picture of a delinquent reluctantly close to admitting wrong. His voice was a little quieter than before. “Not really.”

“She raised you and loved you every single one of those days, you know how I can tell when people lie? Well, your mother was telling the truth, she loves you a lot and that’s why every time you say something cruel she never does anything wicked back, you push and punch and she just takes it all in the hopes you’ll grace her with what a normal child should give their parents, respect.”

The memories continue, of the times he had acted out and yet Regina only seemed to watch him in desperation instead of unleashing the nastiness he’s seen her drench to all others but himself and as of late, Emma. When had he started treating his mother like this? When had returning to the mansion stopped representing safety, of hugs in the hallway that made him feel cherished, of a home and a mother. When did his cruel words cease making his mother cringe and only blink dejectedly back at him. Henry dropped his own gaze when he felt hot shame blister on his cheeks. He scuffed his shoes against the linoleum floors; he supposed he had been taking advantage of Regina’s leniency as of late. But didn’t her crimes before allow him to invoke such treatment? When did it all begin though, this jump from love to blind hatred and temper? Of everything Henry could recall, this was one issue he had never debated with. There was no reason to question the unequalled fury in his actions, in the shiver of fear that wrecked his body at the approach of his mother. But when… When had it all begun, something had shocked him, shot right through his body and expanded in his chest cavity, a monster in its own right. It was hard to picture the exact moment this anger grew but there was the notion that it may had started the very first day his book was given to him.

“You’re not a cruel child, kid, so stop acting like one.” Emma added.

She had grown up with despicable foster siblings and thankfully this child was of no sort, he was just confused and frustrated but something shifted, just slightly enough that the lectured gradually eased his expression into one of contriteness. This talk should have happened months ago but she had no clue how to approach it and had to watch a dozen intensively boring parenting videos before even managing to pull off this discussion. Ugh, the things she does for her games.

When they returned, Regina pretended to reread the shopping list but was pleasantly startled when Henry wrapped his arms around her waist. Their embraces had gotten cold and robotic since the day he began reading that horrid book. Though even if his arms were light around her body, they were there willingly and not coerced.

Henry watched in silence as absolute joy caressed his mother’s sometimes haunted features and felt his lips timidly match hers. He felt his stomach twist and turn into knots and imagined the points of the spiny hatred lessen and dissolve. It was like something murky inside his chest popped and wheezed as it deflated. The intense annoyance he had felt since the moment the book had been in his hands lightened.

He gave a tight squeeze with his arms and bent so that that top of his head of pressed against his mom’s stomach; he was a bit too tall for the maneuver but only released his hold when Regina had shifted her fingers through his hair like she did in a happier time before the discovery of the Enchanted Forest. He self-consciously let go after realizing that they were in a supermarket with other occupants in the store. He worried that if Mary Margaret saw him hugging his mom and woke up as Snow White she might be angry with him for siding with his mom. Would it count as a betrayal?

He shuffled contemplatively to the side and then moved to walk in front of the pair while placing one hand at the edge of the shopping cart in a show of camaraderie, Regina turned and gave Emma a watery smile and mouthed, ‘thank you.’

Emma nodded and simply placed her hand on her lover’s cheek for a moment before turning her attention to the miscellaneous sets of merchandise. Regina's pure delight was severely problematic considering how the display caused Emma to experience an unexpected flutter of pleasure in her cold heart.


	5. Chapter 5

-6th month-

Emma wasn’t quite able to recognize the discomfort in her chest; the unease that grinded on her patience and guise. After being kept in relative seclusion from the real world for such a long duration of time her skills of detections had habituated to the safety of the Fairy Tale curse. There was no one here that could challenge her reign, no brooding siblings with barely concealed malcontent. She had been living in such a luxurious time of stagnancy and calm that the distress she felt jeopardizing her safety was unusually fierce. The danger sandpapered against her psyche, signs she haven’t felt in a while were blazoning into clarity. 

The sense had jostled her out of Regina’s bed and caused her to wander into Henry’s room. He was breathing regularly; she had felt that he was safe even whilst in the comfort of their bed but the stupidly insistent mentality of danger forced her to make a round of the house. Her skin felt electrified by the fear of some unknown lurking at the corners of her vision. This threat to her wellbeing was a hazard she could not ignore. It obviously did not originate from her bedmate since Regina was out of commission after a particularly trying afternoon with the city council but managed to finally pass a new law.

Emma watched the steady intake of breath from her bedfellow then headed to the bathroom to partake in another scolding wash. Her trek out and around the house had dropped her body temperature to what humans would feel as an uncomfortable level even though the weather never bothered her systems. She pulled her hair up into a loose bun and turned the dials of the bath to the furthest setting of heat. The water scalded her skin but she stayed until she was quite sure she had burnt herself back into an acceptable state of warmth. Emma pulled the sheets down and molded herself against Regina’s back. She draped her arm protectively over Regina’ s hip, fingers spreading over the flat stomach and placed her chin over the other woman’s shoulder as she glared out into the silent night beyond their bedroom.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The tension mounted over the course of the days, leaving Emma prowling through the nights. Her anxiety cascaded together into a net of agitation, making her reclusive after work, too fatigued to entertain a night with her co-worker or make an appearance at Granny’s diner.

Emma thought she was all but losing her mind until she begun to notice strange apparitions of what appeared to be her siblings. The ones she had briefly met and mingled with for those tense couple of months. It seemed so long ago when her master had introduced her to her unimpressed and competitive coven. 

She was starting to catch glimpses of glinting predatory eyes and saw what appeared to be the slick shine of venom coated fangs. Though her imagination might be playing with her sense of sight since the phantom’s she thought she saw carried no distinguishable aroma. The undead always carried a peculiar smell same as any predatory animal. She should be able to easily find them out, especially since she swore the creatures she thought she saw were Vampires identifiable as her brethren, all from the same coven as her. It was maddening, to feel pairs of eyes lurking into her realm. Emma had scoured the streets and forest all the way up to the lines Regina had revealed to her but found nothing but wildlife and the occasional town hiker. She wasn’t sure if it was paranoia that caused such visions or if her siblings actually decided to drop in for an inopportune visit. 

Emma was never one to push caution from her mind though and her instincts had never failed her before. She started on a schedule of where and when she would inspect the town grounds. Most of all she kept vigilant surveillance of Regina’s property but she still had yet to truly meet any of the figures that prowled at the furthest reach of her senses. The countless phantoms filtered in and out of her peripherals but they never lingered directly in her line of sight. It was odd and something off about it that made Emma increasingly tense and rather ferocious in her hunger for blood. Her body was instinctively driving her to find more sustenance, to bulk up her reserves from the threat she felt stalked at the edge of Storybrooke. The more blood a Vampire consumed the stronger it gets. Of course there was a limit of power you could accumulate and there was the factor of age to consider. Though for someone as young as Emma she could only really compensate by feasting. Her siblings were all her elders and even with her superior control and rather gifted level of supernatural powers she would be hard set to keep out unwanted company. She saw them as intruders and a threat while she had always been viewed as a rival for their master’s praise.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

When Kathryn’s car crashed unbeknownst to even David, it was Regina that notified the confused husband. Regina was made aware of the potential escape when she felt the defensive spark of her curse. The spell that domed over the regions of Storybrooke shimmered into clear view for her when the vehicle rammed into the invisible force field. The curse would had made it appear that Kathryn’s car had ran astray from the path but Regina knew the truth and the concern she felt for her friend set an unpleasant weight in her stomach.

The site was near the very border of Storybrooke, where Emma had accidentally broken the sign during her first voyage into town. The bloody wildlife in this region was ridiculously rich and they had no need to chase or run from her since they saw her as an equal predator but felt no danger from her because of her preference for human blood. 

Kathryn’s unconscious body had been carted directly to the hospital after a quick dispatch by Regina. Michael Tillman was later instructed to tow the car that remained in the ditch at the side of the road. 

Emma had insisted on following Regina up to the crash site instead of Graham and demanded that he went instead to check on Kathryn. She deferred her interest in the case on primarily disliking hospital. On the car ride over she realized she might had made more sense to bring up her discomfort with seeing her supposed friend in such a state. Oh well, it was just a trifle detail, she believed that Graham would have surmised that as the reason for her actions. The thing that loitered in her mind was the tension she now felt, the tight electric tingle of detecting something just beyond her scope and control. 

By the time they arrived, Michael was already towing the car back towards town. He rolled down the window as they passed each other and gave a polite tilt of his baseball cap that Emma completely ignored. Once they were parked just short of the toppled welcome sign Emma tightened her grip on the Mercedes’ door panel, the pristine leather whining under her touch as her canines sliced fully through her gums. Something was wrong.

“Emma?” Regina set the car in park mode and then reached tentatively over to place her hand onto Emma’s thigh. “What’s the matter?”

Emma’s expression was deadly blank, her glare blackened with caution as she gave Regina’s hand a reassuring squeeze. Her jaw had dropped opened and her fangs dripped with venom. The poison used against another Vampire wouldn’t cause them to become particularly drowsy but worked better than any kind of tranquilizer. If you could lay enough bites without over extending your delicate neck to your opponent, you’ll be ahead in a fight. Emma would require that extra advantage if she would have a chance of keeping her elder and stronger siblings out of her territory. 

Regina’s gaze softened her voice gentle and coaxing as she continued. “Emma, do you wish to return back to town, I can come back alone and check-”

Emma snatched Regina’s wrist in her hand, tugging the other woman towards her. “Don’t.”

“I’m perfectly capable of dealing with whatever is it there, the spell creates a barrier around us, there’s no possible way in or out.” Regina answered back, her eyes narrowing at the monosyllabic response and the hand clenched around her limb. “Ms. Swan, you’re being completely irrational, there’s nothing out there.”

“I managed to get through the barrier.” Emma blinked and dropped her hold, a bit put off by Regina’s upbraiding of her actions. “And so has Henry.”

“That is only because you were born in the Enchanted Forest and your blood runs through Henry’s vein.” Regina explained, her ire growing at the ludicrous overreaction from Emma.

The mention of Henry’s blood did not alert Emma to her hunger, it only reminded her of one more thing she needed to guard. She turned her focus back onto the road, her body tightening with the sense of an approaching combatant. 

“I’ve noticed how you’ve not lingered in the bed for a while now.” Regina took a moment to compose herself, she almost let it slip out that she would refer to the piece of furnishing as ‘their’ bed. “You spend hours at night searching through the darkness, what do you think you see?”

“There’s something out there; I may not be strong enough.” To protect you, to keep you safe, to deal with the possibility of losing. Emma nodded towards the edge of the forest she’s certain held at least one other Vampire. She still couldn’t smell the bastard but she could see him, a pin point prick in the distance, he was no longer hiding his presence. 

Regina shifted closer; threading her fingers into Emma’s curls and then drawling her hand through the tresses. Repeating the gesture as Emma leaned over and placed her hand on the door handle, making sure to keep it closed if anything was to attempt to enter. If her brother was looking to crash through the window then her body was equally in front of Regina to delay the impending harm. Regina looked searching at the direction indicated but was unable to notice anything but blacktop and wilderness. 

“Emma, honestly, you can’t just expect us to remain in the car like this.”

Emma knew she couldn’t properly defend Regina whilst she was sitting and dove out of the car when she noticed her brother hesitating. She couldn’t continue the standstill while at a positional disadvantage. She opened her door and hastily placed herself in the direct path of the Vampire now making a leisurely progression towards the line. 

Emma snarled, loud enough that it appeared more of a roar, it made Regina immediately leave the car and come to her side. Emma bent her knees, preparing to leap at her foe; there was no sense of talking to the one approaching them. This was Reuben, the third in command of the protection unit. He was harsh, senseless and driven only by his own gain and hedonistic wants. He did not shoulder the burden of protecting their maker, which was number one’s job. Nor was he important enough to deal with their clan’s daily function but he was a sturdy son of a bitch and resilient on the scent of a hunt. 

At the end of Emma’s growl, Reuben sped up to the very line of the spell, his nose just short of touching the magic that sizzled in soundless but luminous warning. His once suntanned skin still held a lot of the darken pigments even after his transformation, the colouring clung stubbornly to his body and was offset by the buzzed to roots auburn hair. His attire and mannerism seemed rough by choice since his features were refined and almost aristocratic. He wore only a tank top, threadbare and dirty from his surroundings while on his hips loosely hung a pair of earth patterned cargo pants. He twisted his head jarringly to left then right, his body statue still as he tried to inhale the odours around him but found absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. There was dirt sizzling on the warmed roads, the scent of wildlife but not an ounce of human flavour for miles in every direction. Yet he could intrinsically tell that something was off. 

Before Emma launched herself at her sibling she felt Regina’s hand on her crunched back. She could feel the tremors that vibrated in Regina’s touch. It enraged her to have Regina be placed in such a state and she felt madness overtake logic at the fear she scented from the other woman. She abhorred the hopelessness of the oncoming fight, since she knew she could only prolong and distract her brother. There was just too far of an age gap and strength levels between them and it would only take one mistake on her part to lose her second life. The self-preserving thing to do would be to submit to her elder’s wishes and hand over the toy that has caught her fancy for over half a year but she couldn’t. Regina was not meant for a fate at Reuben’s hands, it was an end Emma would not wish for her human. If Reuben insisted on crossing barely tangible agreements between offsprings of the same coven then she would have to end him, or at least give her best effort, this Emma swore on her life. 

“He… He can’t see us.” Regina recuperated uneasily from her previous falter, anxious conviction filtered into her tone.

Reuben’s chest puffed up as he barked out a growl, spittle of venom and saliva dribbled down his chin as he gazed sightlessly at what wasn’t there before him. He wanted to keep pushing, to travel further in the road but something was keeping him from doing it. For someone that had never had to answer to any kind of law or control other than his master’s, Reuben was at a lost. He shook his body and then unclenched from his bowed position, straightening up to roll his shoulders. 

He blinked his eyes until they cleared from the thunder of excitement and blind rage just moments from being free. His lips curled up into a beguiling smile, his hands pushed casually into his pockets as he rocked back onto his heels. “Hello?” His voice was thick with glamour, it was cloyingly sweet and enticing as a familiar caress from a cherished lover, he swayed forward and back. “Anyone here?” 

Regina yanked on Emma’s shoulder but while the flesh seemed pliable to her touch, Emma did not shift. “There is nothing that he can do to us, he can’t cross the barrier and can’t see or hear us.” 

“He can’t scent us either, that’s why I haven’t been able to track them down.” Emma stood up, eyes still focused on her sibling until Regina entered the car. How odd that Regina did not even react to the glamour. Was it the magic from the previous world or was it the shield that gave Regina a chance for sanity? Emma pushed the thought from her mind and kept her gaze straight at the waiting Vampire, seeing if his guise would fade and once again turn into the raging lunatic that Emma knew took residence in the soulless carcass. 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“I have to kill him.” Emma stated as they pulled into the driveway to Regina’s mansion. “He’ll want you.”

“There’s no need for you to engage him in any kind of combat, he can’t harm us, and he isn’t capable of even sensing us.” Regina reasoned as she shut off the engine and turned to face Emma. “Why would he want me?”

“My scent is all over this place, he’ll know this is my den, he doesn’t like me.” Emma swiftly got out of the car and walked over to Regina’s side, opening the door and looking the other woman directly in the eyes. “I took his position as our maker’s favourite, for the time being he won’t kill me but he’ll want you, so that means I’ll have to end him before he even considers nearing you.” 

“Emma.” Regina breathed; Emma had a tendency to jump to extremes and thus wasn’t surprised to find her so enraged. She had read up on Vampiric tomes and everything suggests that while siblings in the same coven generally did not slaughter one another for fun, they would be more than willing to torment a weaker sibling by snatching prey they had taken a shine to. Like an elder brother teasing his little sister over her favourite doll. If the doll breaks and cannot be fixed then that would be the end of their fight. “We are safe.”

“I want to take precautions.” Emma replied, her eyes once again running down their surroundings. “You may not leave the house.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Regina curtly snapped as her key slid into the lock on the thick double doors that Emma had so easily entered all those months before. “I am still Mayor of our quaint little town.” 

Emma whipped her head around and drew near at inhuman speeds, her hands slamming into the mahogany behind them, “Do you think this is a joke, he’ll take you and it’ll be of no enjoyment to you and just a meal for him.” 

“Am I not just that to you?” Regina vindictively questioned with an arch of her eyebrow. She had never brought the accusation up before but it’s been a query that haunted the logical portions of her thoughts. It was a nagging suspicious that she should have looked into far sooner but everything had become so easy for so long it wasn’t important to her how Emma viewed her. At first whether Emma stayed for love or for nutrients was of no interest to Regina. She was admittedly lonely and even fucking an unknowingly disinclined Graham had lost its appeal. Then the frustrating woman had appeared and turned her stand still world into chaos. Nothing functioned right anymore and Emma slotted into the town as a cog to a clock, Regina watched the folk around them developed and healed as new life was breathed into the occupants. Then Emma turned her attentions to Regina and the ludicrously of their situation kept her reasoning grey and faded. She felt herself relax; dangerously believing in happiness after the suffocating distrust from her son had abated and she did not need to kill another Royal to protect her own possessions. 

It wasn’t until Emma’s inhumanity became more evident that she started to question their current predicament. To others, Emma still appeared as functioning as usual but the mask was cracked with flaws that Emma had no time to humour. She kept up the friendly pretense. Smiled, laughed, feigned sympathy when there was an occasion that deemed it fit but there was something missing. Her enthusiasm on the chore of entertaining the populace was fading, her attention moving elsewhere whilst her mind forged plans on protecting what was deemed hers.

Emma was someone so surprisingly unexpected, unconventional, and for the matter quite dead. But their relationship, it was something she understood, this kind of want. The thing between them does not hold up to the glow of hers and Daniels but that had been a chaste and gentle affair. One born of Fairy Tales meant for the privileged and thus only ended in tragedy when she quested for such bliss. The memory of that love still clenched at her heart but since it had flickered out as soon as it had begun her only anguish was over lost possibilities, what ifs and the generally understood unfairness of the Enchanted Forest. She supposed the relationship she had now wasn’t really comparable to anything she had experience before. In her whole life she had three other partners. Her tryst with Daniel had been thwarted by her mother. Leopold was assigned to her as a task and she was Graham’s job. Where did Emma stand in all of it? No one before had outright pursued her as Emma had. Daniel was held back by customs and status; it wasn’t until she reached out first that he had revealed his affections for her. A King’s decree was not about romance but necessity for his precious daughter and Graham was there to keep her mediocrely sane. The number of significant people in her life did not stop her from churning the similarities and countless differences against one another when comparing it all to Emma.

“You know you’re not.” Emma replied curtly after a long pause, her eyebrows drawing together as she was left debilitated by the blunt remark. Had she been too inhumane as of late? Did Regina notice? She realized her err was in the tone of her voice, she shouldn’t be so gruff, it was supposed to be tender. Humans needed that kind of drivel and hers obviously needed reassurance now and not her foiling temperament. She should have been kinder but there was no way to cushion or quantify how she felt towards Regina. A woman that was so much more than her prey. 

This partnership Regina had with Emma was the only other supposedly healthy bond. The love that could have been between her and Daniel was one where no expectations of money and daily survival hung over their heads. It was a childish thing that still made Regina imprudently nostalgic but was realistic enough to know that the way it had ended was the best she could have deserved. Now her own contentment sat second to Henry’s needs and Henry needed Emma. Horrifyingly enough she had found herself needing Emma just as much, the stability that Emma brought in for both her son and her was unusually settling. Emma was infuriatingly calm in demeanor and her devoted compliancy was something Regina no longer sought after since her start as the Evil Queen. Emma cherished her in that slightly alarmingly possessive manner that Regina knew only too well how to demonstrate. Emma managed to capture a spot within Regina’s heart to the extent that she could not imagine what it would be like to have Emma leave her now. To run headstrong into a pointless fight since they were safe in this haven of the cursed. Regina has had quite enough tragedy to last her entire life and did not require more. 

“Then show me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is all done, just awaiting my beta to go through the gibberish. :3


	6. Chapter 6

The springs in the bed creaked as Emma deposited Regina onto the satin sheets. On all fours she crawled up on top then hovered just above her lover, her knees on either side of the smaller woman’s hips. Emma once again forced her fangs to stay retracted. She reminded herself of the necessity of this charade, how it needed to be maintained; she had to make the woman in her arms think that it was safe to remain in her vicinity. She needed to be allowed in the presence of Regina’s serenity and she would not be able to do that if her partner was frightened or deemed her a danger. 

Emma swallowed the new collection of venom that flooded into her mouth and stopped breathing; taking in lungfuls of Regina’s scent only enflamed her blood frenzy, but as she watched with devote attention she felt something else begin to burn within her. Regina took Emma’s hands and guided them towards her, she encouraged Emma’s hands to press against the material of the pearl coloured blouse, sliding Emma’s palms over her breast then allowing them to claw lightly down her ribs. Regina hissed at the sensation and turned her head to the side, eyes closed in her pleasure and missing the barely contained thirst that flashed over the other woman’s face. 

Regina released her hold and then let her arms spread slowly over onto the pillow behind her, her eyes giving a clear invitation before tilting her head to offer her neck to Emma. The blonde crunched forward but instead of piercing the skin and gorging on her meal like she had been yearning to do, she kissed and sucked on the rabbiting beat. She glided her hands up along biceps and arms and then intertwined her fingers with Regina’s… to better hold onto her prey lest she tried to get away was the obvious rational, but if she were to be honest then she would accept that there was something wholly senseless of their relationship, especially one that ran for this long between a mortal and her kind. 

Emma rocked her jean clad hips into Regina’s and savoured the groan that it elicited. She was well trained but not strong enough to drink and fuck at the same time. It was natural for two Vampires to bite one another during sex since the lust of skin and body gave a similar thrill as blood frenzy. It was a game of trust between two immortals, making sure not to allow venom through their lover’s skin, but for Emma to bite Regina during intercourse would mean giving into her hunger and losing the human façade she had built up these last six months. She moved in and licked at supple lips until Regina’s eyes closed once again and she watched, shifting to slide a thigh between her partners legs, grinding down to build a unsteady rhythm. 

“Emma.” Regina moaned as she tightened her hold on their joined hands and rolled up hips up to meet Emma’s urgent thrusts. 

“Mine.” Was the grunted reply, a jean and thong combination was distinctly uncomfortable but the painful friction brought Emma closer to the edge and it wasn’t as if her body wouldn’t heal in a moment. 

“Are…you… not… Hungry?” A question punctuated with pants and still quite a bit of accusation. 

“Always.” Emma whispered grudgingly as she loosened her hold and then gripped Regina’s neck into her gelid hands. She wasn’t going to lie about that but she could distract Regina from focusing on that particular part of their agreement. She leaned close and pushed her face into the licorice coloured mane and continued to rock her hips as she felt Regina’s hands slide down and unbutton her jeans. 

A hand slipped into Emma’s pants and pinched at her throbbing clit, making a keening sound purr from her throat and her cuspids to slice out. “Regina, fuck, yes, in me.”

“For that to happen,” Regina answered between gasping breaths, “you would have to lose these jeans.”

Emma sped up and practically ripped the fabric from her own legs before moving and gripping handfuls of Regina’s blouse.

“Don’t you dare!” Regina admonished, managing to keep her breathy voice stern. 

Emma growled incoherently at her lover and fumbled down the buttons of the overpriced blouse, popping each oval shape through the frustratingly small entrapments. She unveiled her prize and slid the piece off Regina’s shoulders to reveal the smooth, lightly tanned cleavage held in a lacy royal purple brassier. 

With each trembling breath it accentuated Regina’s perked nipples, stiffened and barely concealed by the thin material of her lingerie. Regina lifted her hands and deliberately wrapped her fingers one by one over her own breast, giving a good squeeze as she arched towards Emma, a wicked smile on her lips.

“I’ll rip it off your body if you don’t take it off yourself.” Emma snarled an idle threat since her hands remained clenched to Regina’s hips, hard enough to leave bruises if she continued though her partner didn’t voice any concerns. 

“Tsk tsk, what a temper.” Regina pushed herself up and wound one arm back to unclasp her bra; the straps loosen and fell in a torturously relaxed manner off her shoulders. 

Emma almost bit her own tongue to forbid herself from noting that Regina was just as irascible as her. 

“Arms up,” she ordered as she took the lingerie into her hands and yanked them off Regina’s outstretched arms before tossing them off to the side. The piece of clothing managed to catch a bedside lamp and knocked it onto the ground leaving only moonlight to bath over Regina’s flawless skin. Regina almost laughed at the mess Emma’s urgency would always leave. The blinds were drawn so the glow was stilted, the shadows slicing across the light through filtered horizontal lines.

Regina’s amusement at Emma’s enthusiasm soon turned into a lustful moan as an icy tongue slid over her areolas and an equally cooled mouth wrapped around her nipple and sucked. Emma took her time, letting the tip of her tongue continue to swirl around the nub, alternating from languorous draws to barely wrapping her lips around the turgid nipple, letting her cold breathe breeze over Regina’s skin until the woman was rocking her hips and sighing out the Vampire’s name. 

Emma’s hand tugged onto the pencil skirt and in her frustration tore the material as she fidgeted with the clasp. Regina tangled her hands into the silky blonde locks and yanked. She could always be rougher with Emma. Motions that would have made even Graham cringe only excited her immortal lover. “That was part of a set, Ms. Swan.” 

“I’ll buy you more, I’ll buy you anything.” 

“Promises…promises.” 

Emma ducked close to capture supple lips as she moved her hands to slip along Regina’s shoulder blades and spine until she could push her fingertips into the waistline of the skirt. She dragged her nails over that voluptuous ass before ridding the now ruined half of a set down the other woman’s legs. 

Shifting back into position, Emma bookcased her elbows around Regina’s head and restarted her early pacing, rocking against her lover, nails scratching the pillows instead of skin for purchase. Regina placed one hand on the Emma’s hip and slid another down between Emma’s legs, she let her knuckles caress the slick folds and laughed when Emma tried to hump into the barely present touch, she made the kindred groan as her fingers insistently pushed up during a pause in her partner’s motions.

Emma whimpered and clenched her hands into fists, claws ripping through the plush pillows and digging back into her own palms until blood seeped out from half-moon nicks. Uncaring to all else she started moving in mad earnest, shoving her body into Regina’s and tucking in close until she brought herself surging pass unbearable cords of pleasure and into the fade of release. She could feel her fluids slick along Regina’s fingers, coating them in a sheen of cum. 

Regina brought her glossy fingers up and licked them clean in front of Emma’s half hooded but still wild eyes. Tongue following the lines in her palm and then up along each individual finger. “Your taste always carries such a metallic tint.”

Emma could tell that Regina was teasing her, that they were in a truce of levity, at this moment they were going to ignore Regina’s earlier outburst accusing Emma for not truly caring. “It’s because of my diet, it’s a new liquid cleanse, all the rage.”

“That hardly sounds like enough sustenance.” Regina countered after her digit slid out of her lips with a satisfied pop, a trail of saliva stranded between her mouth and fingertips 

Emma rumbled and pressed her mouth into Regina’s, licking at her own flavour before angling slightly away. She let her hands glide over the now heated skin, her nails raking into the unmarred flesh. Careful touch, restricting the amount of strength she exerted; always mindful not to leave broken skin least the fresh blood sent her right into madness. She took the lacy waistband of the Mayor’s panties in between her fingers and tugged down. “Guess I’ll have to add to my diet.”

“I suppose you will.” Regina replied off handily. She blinked down Vampire moving between her thighs as if it was the most common occurrence a Queen could expect in this world. 

Without another word Emma looped her arms beneath Regina’s legs, scooted close and delved in, letting her tongue go as deep as possible all in one go. Regina was dripping wet to begin with; the flavour was thicker and sharp with the added taste of blood… Emma paused, she hadn’t bitten, she had made sure. It takes moments too long but the scent is heady and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what was happening. Emma had been adamant about never being around Regina during this time of the month, it was her one request and yet they had completely forgotten due to the urgently human need for reassurance and the ominously threatening presence of danger. 

“I-” Regina sounds abashed and immediately started to back away but Emma refused to release the lock of her hold. She was shaking, trembling with repressed want. She had day dreamt about drinking and fucking but always knew better not to. Yet now, with all she could scent was fresh blood. She couldn’t deny the aroma, it made her eyes gleam, consumed completely by darkness, colouring her sclera into a sanguine onyx. 

A guttural purr rolled from Emma’s body as she flicked her tongue wide and flat against Regina’s drenched core; collecting both cum and blood and then ravenously swallowing. There was no going back from this, once Regina saw how insane she could get. So much for showing that she cared, she couldn’t control the frenzy that blanked her mind. If she was going to kill her lover now, might as well give her an orgasm worth the pain. Emma took Regina’s clit in between her teeth and nibbled down, not cutting skin but too hard all the same. She was rewarded with a breathless moan and cessation of the struggle to move away. She didn’t want to use her fingers, instead moving in even nearer so that all she could sense was Regina. She dragged her tongue thoroughly across each drenched labia, pressing against each crease and doing the best job at cleaning any residue of Regina’s excitement. 

“Emma, oh, fuck.” Regina was mollified from her earlier embarrassment by Emma’s attention, only managing to whimper as she writhed under Emma’s grinning lips. 

Emma moved further towards the source, savouring and consuming until her wanting mind was drunk and clouded by the high. The woman beneath her has become a frenzy of eager bucks and squirms. The venom when injected intravenously would numb prey, making them sluggish and nonresistant but to have that much frigid but now soothing liquid drip against the mounting sensation of pleasure was enough to push Regina into a flashing and torrent climax. 

Emma incessantly lapped up all of the juices that didn’t make it into her mouth, there was nothing holding her back. This night would result in the death of their relationship one way or another. Perhaps it was better this way. Emma would leave after this, shred herself from the human life she had built. With her gone perhaps her siblings would be deterred from returning. 

Emma was an animal, licking and kissing, mouthing, loving whatever skin that came into contact, mindlessly craving more and thus pushing the normally composed Regina over and into the thrashing sensation of another high. 

Regina cried out loudly, enough to leave her voice hoarse. Sounds she had never made before in her life began pouring from her lips as she thrusted her hips up to meet Emma’s greedy mouth. She gathered up the satin sheets into her hands but then switched to dig her nails the back of Emma’s neck, clinging until her knuckles turned white. 

Emma’s face was covered in warm fluids, it made her moan in delight, and in turn the vibrations caused Regina to tremble and bonelessly open herself up more to the blonde’s determined tongue. Emma nuzzled for more, hungrily licking and sucking. She pushed the length of her tongue into Regina and caused her bedmate to gyrate up to meet the added pressure. Emma was relentless; she freed one hand so she could slide her thumb up along the folds, holding them open to rub against Regina’s clit. 

Regina’s release found no other outlet and her voice hurt so she bit into her cheek, her thighs clamping around Emma’s head and her hands yanking her lover closer as she continue to push and move with each of Emma’s touches. 

Emma waited until her digits collected enough moisture and then pulled her hand back and smoothed around back to the puckered entrance she had yet to claim, she felt the muscles along Regina’s ass clench but it doesn’t deter her from continuing. Regina gave an undignified squeak which she covered with almost a sob at the lack of release. Even in her mindless state Emma resisted from just jabbing her fingers in, she took the time to roll the pads of her fingertips around the rim, stretching the sensitive flesh gradually with the ample amount of Regina’s own juices. 

“Emma, oh my god, please…” Regina mumbled as tears gathered in her eyes, her body was overwhelmed by the strain; overstimulated by the sensations that were nearing the painful border. She was on the cusp of pleasing heat that could easily transcend into agony.

Before Regina could continue her plead, Emma slid her index finger in up to her knuckle, swirling in small circles until she could fit in her middle finger as well. Regina was agonizingly tight and so freaking hot, the skin around her tongue and fingers tightened and clenched but couldn’t stop her assault. 

Regina’s head snapped back into the pillows as profanities too vulgar for her lips poured out. She was lolling out against the plush cushion, a film of perspiration coating her elegant neck and never more thankful that Henry was old enough to attend school. 

Emma giddily pushed her face firmly into Regina’s quivering core as she made her lover come yet again, drinking everything provided and using her free hand to clutch at that voluminous derrière, but it wasn’t enough, not to satiate this kind of hunger that has been denied from building up for so long, she turned her head and bit messily into Regina’s femoral artery, carelessly gulping down fresh blood, momentarily unconcerned of the red that pumped onto the ruined sheets. 

“Slow down!” Regina cried out when hit with the familiar biting pain, the venom made her drowsy but mixed with the pull of her blood it turned into a pleasurable haze. She could hardly do more than groan out her request, she had no strength to call upon the magic hidden in Emma and in another beat; fatigue dragged her into the ocean of pallid awareness.

Emma quizzically paused when Regina stopped talking, language was a distant impression now but her hunter senses caught the deceleration of a prey’s heartbeat. This was what she had been missing for months on end in this place where she could not take the lives of its occupants. The lovely organic ticking that would gradually fade and she would twist the cattle’s neck with a snap and make sure Regi- Sudden and dreadful fear gripped Emma’s heart and throttled her mind back into human consciousness. 

She backed away and then pushed her hand onto the cut she had made in Regina’s thigh, she should use her own blood to close the wound but seeing how the liquid continued to spill through the gaps in fingers made her mind and heart freeze. “No, no, fuck!” 

This had never been what she wanted; she never desired Regina’s death. What had made her remain in this stupid play, there wasn’t enough blood in the world worth keeping her job as deputy in this community of made believed lunatics. If Regina’s compliance was all she needed than she could have snuck her blood into their food, once human consumed a kindred’s blood they became more susceptible to their suggestions. It did not even require as much energy as glamour. 

Crimson tears ran down her face and she hurriedly gathered it into her palms and plastered her blood onto Regina’s wound. The Vampiric essence sizzled on the open flesh, closing and ending the bleeding. Emma dropped her head down near Regina’s heart and could hear it still decelerating from exsanguination, she bit into her own wrist and forced her blood into Regina’s mouth, she lifted her partner up and shook until the Mayor’s eyes fluttered opened with a crazed sheen. With Emma’s encouragement Regina was finally persuaded into drinking and she was taking it in gulps.

After a far longer than safe amount of time, Emma’s thoughts were beginning to dim, at first there was the chime in her head that warned her of imminent death if she didn’t stifle her injuries but now all she could feel was a cotton drying of her insides. She had been properly feeding, indulging for a while but she was still young and such a sudden drop in blood level made her body go into shock. Regina was taking it all and it made her normally frosty body temperature plummet to a glacier range, her limbs began to petrify. 

She could’ve still easy have shoved the human away from her wrist but she had never tried to heal anyone before and had no clue how much it would take to bring someone back from near death. This was not by the code at all since the loss of blood meant a relinquishment of one’s power when it was a not a trade between two Vamps. Her depleting stores were reaching a noxious level but the only thing she could think about was preserving Regina’s life.

In the ten years since her death and then unlife, Emma hadn’t stayed in one place for longer than a couple of weeks since her transformation and training period. Now she has lived in a single town for over 6 months. Playing her part to get close to Regina had changed her. How long was it before the conditioning set in and caused Emma’s faux joy in seeing the Mayor to become genuine? Those moments of acting may have been the starter for her emotions to build upon but her feelings towards her lover had progressed so much further than she had anticipated. There was something that was so inherently broken in that woman, it was meant to be sought out and used as leverage but as time wore on she saw their similarities. Two unfortunate beings, one wondered in this frozen state while she hunted through the borders of lands. Not only did Regina’s blood call out to her but her very being was the counterpart to Emma’s meaningless existence as an undead. For so long she had no reason to feel any type of emotion and then now, for the first time since her death she experienced candid sympathy and horror at the state Regina had been placed in, most of all, it was the abject terror of causing her death. Emotions to the undead were a high in itself, their bodies should not be able to produce the correct chemical imbalance to induce anything but euphoria and only during a feed and yet when spending time with Regina it was all she felt at intervals.

Regina stopped and coughed up a mouthful of blood when she felt Emma tilter over onto her side. “Emma?!”

Emma struggled to sit up but decided instead to curl into herself, her skin dulled and becoming a sickly pale shade as her organs began to desiccate and force her into an eternal hibernation. 

With renewed energy given by immortal blood, Regina rushed up from the bed and straight into her closet. Moments later she returned with bags of O+ from a hidden refrigerator she had install in the second month of their arrangement. “Emma, drink this, I know it’s not warm but you have to take in fresh blood.” 

The immense blood lost had made Emma so ill that her stomach flopped at the mere mention of imbibing. She weakly batted at Regina’s insistent hands before just giving up and letting the other woman drag her up to a semi upright position. Regina cradled Emma into her arms and angled her partner onto her chest before pushing the cold package between herself and Emma’s cheek. “So help me, if you don’t drink!” 

Regina shoved the package into Emma’s mouth, the already extended canines slicing open the blood pack and causing the fridge temp sustenance to pour into her open mouth. The cold texture only made her sickness double. Her proximity to Regina made the self-hate and nausea more potent. She had caused Regina to fall into such a dire state; she was unable to swallow the chilly liquid and only held the half open package.

Regina took the second blood package and connected it to an emergency I.V., she fleetingly pondered if this was the best course of action but with another mewl from the sickened woman in her arms she found herself piercing the needle directly into Emma’s heart and then with a shaking hand held up the plastic container of blood. The pain of the needle had been minimal compared to Emma’s insides shivering up under the heated scorch of blood lost. Regina could only pray that Emma’s body was still able to take in the fresh blood and utilize the nourishment; she had no clue how a Vampire so young would react to such a drastic drop in the quantity of blood. She tried to support her barely conscious lover in a position that was comfortable for both of them, with her back leant against her headboard and Emma’s stiff form plaster against hers. The kindred’s blood was furious and rampant in Regina’s veins, it made her feel extraordinary empowered, a sparking akin to magic and she had to let her eyelids flutter close when she saw how vibrantly the colours in her room worked to contrast and flash in her vision. Her body was vibrating with pent up energy but she forced herself into a still, breathing in the scent of blood and musk that vaporized throughout the room, she found herself hungry. 

After a torturously long quarter hour, Emma finally started to move, heavy eyes blinked open and shut but at least the ice green shade returned to her irises to replace the darkened blood that had seeped into her sclera. Emma focused on Regina’s bloodied form, at first she felt unimaginable wrath at seeing Regina injured before scenting that the blood did not belong to her lover. 

Seconds later Emma recalled all that had occurred and looked down at the needle still angled oddly into her chest. She let out a pained whimper as she held Regina’s face in one hand; the other still wet with the reminder of their earlier tryst, reaching to rip the steel from her chest, the half emptied dripping blood pack sloshed them both in crimson. “I thought I killed you!”

“You didn’t, though you made a valiant effort.” Regina’s relief came through in her tone though not her words, she twitched horribly as the blood splashed onto them and tried her best to sooth; her hand drifting through Emma’s bloodied curls and her thumb cleaning up the tracts left by the streaks of bloody tears. She could not have another lover taken from her, her sanity wouldn’t survive it. “It’s okay, I’m okay.”

“You’re not allowed to die, I forbid it.” Emma glanced down at their blood drenched bodies and snarled, she was never feeding on Regina again, she couldn’t lose the contentment that came with being by Regina’s side. No. She ducked down; pressing her forehead close to the quickening beat of her lover’s heart. “Never again, I’ll go.” She had to leave; she would guard her charge at a distance she would make sure to keep her lover safe. 

On any other day Regina would’ve started on a tirade to explain exactly why Emma could not prohibit her from any activity of whatever kind, but she recognized the despair and self-loathing in Emma’s actions and drew the other woman closer, her free hand tilting Emma’s chin up to face her. “Then I forbid you from departing.” 

“It’s not safe for you to be near me, I’ve been lying, I didn’t love you, I’m a hunter and was just playing the game.” Emma blinked angrily through costly tears and once again enfolded one hand around Regina’s neck. “Hate me, tell me to go, rescind your invitation to your life.”

“No.” Regina shook her head and draped her arms loosely around Emma’s waist; she wouldn’t be able to physically restrain Emma if she made a real run for it so she hoped her touch was enough of a reminder. “I knew, I could tell something was off but I had been as desperate as you. You’ve changed, I can see it, I seldom voice my emotions while you had worn those words as a crest on your lips, but I do care for you, it’s not pure or healthy as it should be but I need you more than you can imagine.” 

“I’m a monster.” Emma weakly stated, she was a crafted killer, a beast that fed on humanity. Though if she was as cold blooded as she tried to convince Regina then she should amp up her show of contriteness. Staying would be the most advantageous outcome of this whole debacle. There were still resources to collect and guard. The old her wouldn’t leave this land of honey and milk, nothing could drag her away until she had plucked every piece of worth from the town’s clueless population, each and every drop drained from the desolate bodies. Though now her realm of motivation circled only around Regina’s wellbeing. 

“So am I.”

There was a pregnant pause until Emma tried to reason again. “You’re not though, your past was horrid and it shapes so much of who you were.”

“As did yours.” Regina answers were laconic, simply trying the easiest path in convincing Emma. She lifted her free hand and placed it under the other woman’s chin. “Emma,” she pleaded as she stroked a thumb over the blonde’s bottom lip. “Our choices are what make us who we are.” 

“I don’t care about Henry, I only ever wanted you.” Emma made the last ditch attempt at dealing with Regina, hitting where it would hurt the other woman the most. Indeed Emma could never love Henry the way a mother should but she had grown to care for the kid as a favoured brethren, but Regina, this human woman had somehow awoken her humanity and made her care; this living Queen was her mate. It once would have sickened her to find herself so stricken by want that rationality and self-preservation were but a notion of the past. Now all she could deal with was the onset of panic Regina’s brush with death had caused her to experience. She couldn’t stand it, not like this. She couldn’t lose Regina like this or ever. Some distance was better than being forever parted by a death caused by her insatiably mindless hunger. 

“Your eyes tell a different tale.” Regina responded with careful persistence, the untrue quip on Henry caused her voice to harden. “Emma, I still feel the same about you, and like you said, we’ll make this work.” She’ll ensure it, she could promise that now.

She felt remarkably calm about her near death experience. The ingestion of Vampire blood felt like a stinging reminder of the magic infused in her before all of this. It wasn’t like the light that was trapped in Emma’s body; there was no goodness in this extraordinary intoxication. The burning strength she felt in her limbs was supernatural and as disconcertingly dark as the magic she had once indulged in like a drug. 

And after a moment she realized that it was magic that flowed through her now. 

This was a completely different experience than the time she had taken Emma’s magic, to siphon away what was created by True Love was one thing. To drink in the magic, to taste it seeping out from Emma’s blood and into her own system was beyond gratifying. The magic was tainted by the inherent darkness of the Vampiric species. Regina felt the spark of white hot power; it promised strength, safety and control. The head rush alone made her vision buzz and her skin to burn unnaturally warm against the permanently cold body in her arms.

This magic was inebriating and made her own return to her like a knowing friend. It was licking at her insides until the earth tone shade of her eyes swirled into purple. There were dangers in all of this, to indulge the depravity of dark arts instead of pushing it down; to take the craving and immerse herself blindly into it all. She was glutton for punishment though since for the first time in a long while, Regina had the means to exact her wishes with just her prowess alone. Her threats would not be fenced by this world’s laws, her goals no longer dragged down by procedures and rules of an office. Her wants will not stand idle nor be ignored.

Emma clasped her hands a little tighter, all she needed to do was clench her fingers and then this human’s neck would snap and all the rules and chains that came along with it would fade. The temptation was so sweet but she had just given up almost all of her blood to save this woman, she was really in no shape to do it once again. Sighing, Emma submitted; Regina had also drank enough of her essence that if she killed her lover now Regina would return as a rather peeved Vampire. Also, how were her affections to be maintained after the change? Emma had been listless and emotionless after awakening, would Regina be the same? Too anxious to gamble on such an important aspect of her life Emma rubbed her fingers lightly over the soft skin of Regina’s neck, an alternative to the instinctive wringing motions. 

Emma gulped and nodded with conviction. “You’re my mate.” The words were hard to articulate out loud but once given shape in spoken form, they were irrevocably chiselled into her being. This meant more than the far off notion of love to a Vampire. They were permanently entwined; Emma could never let Regina go after this, never. She would rather face her end than have the possibility of separation.

Regina gave a firm determined nod of her head, acknowledging this claim from Emma. 

She knew the significance of that title, she seldom managed to find text on such an ideal but there were some hidden amongst the older tomes. The books had always mentioned it the subscripts, veiled and shown in a bit of an embarrassed light by the Vampiric authors. It was a promise that transcended time, a seal on their lives that made her body quiver with the weight of what it stood for. 

With everything out in the open, Regina leant down and Emma strived forward to meet her lips. Now that they accepted each other as is, with love that encompassed everything that was true and good in two people that were inherently labeled as horrid it filled and overflowed passed the criteria of the spell in this town. Inevitably, the kiss brought out a blinding iridescent halo; it erupted from their bodies in a bloom of powdering light that raced out from their position and into the world around them. 

The swooping glimmering dust soared out as bright as a super nova and collided into the dome as a tidal way of magical backlash. Memories swelled from an unknown bank, cobwebbed by the passing of timeless days but vibrant enough to be recalled by each character. Iridescent specks drizzled from the skies above, each returning memory causing the glow in the undetectable shield to lessen until the curse’s controlling shackles unlocked, dissolving the 28 year spell with a single kiss. 

Along with the curse, the borders and lines that protected the town disintegrated as well. With the enchantment gone, Storybrooke had been opened up as vulnerable game to Emma Swan’s devastating siblings.

**Author's Note:**

> [Buy Me a Coffee?](https://ko-fi.com/A1464VTG)


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